Rio Olympics

[Duchess of Verona]

Is it close enough to start a thread for this years Olympics?

[PruNordstrom]

Announcement are being made about team nominations.
Time to make a 2016 Summer Olympics topic?

[Barrie]

Has it been four years already!!!! Awesome, Fred and Mary are usually at their finest.

[Visenya]

Some news: Zara Phillips wasn't elected to represent GB.

Both Carl Gustaf & Silvia will attend.

[Trier1]

No surprise about Zara, they had several riders who were much better than her this season and who had fitter horses. Still a shame that she didn't make it, I like her style of riding.
Will there any actual royal be competing this time or will we only see Albert, Fred, Henri and the others of the IOC handing out medals? Guess we will see some of the royals from the end of July in Rio having a short holiday since the IOC meeting is during the last days of July and it wouldn't make much sense to fly back to Europe for 3 days and trhen back again to Rio for the opening of the Games.

[pixiecat]

No surprise about Zara, they had several riders who were much better than her this season and who had fitter horses. Still a shame that she didn't make it, I like her style of riding.
Will there any actual royal be competing this time or will we only see Albert, Fred, Henri and the others of the IOC handing out medals? Guess we will see some of the royals from the end of July in Rio having a short holiday since the IOC meeting is during the last days of July and it wouldn't make much sense to fly back to Europe for 3 days and trhen back again to Rio for the opening of the Games.

It's possible that Natalie Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleberg will compete in dressage.  She's Queen Marge's niece and competes for DK.

Wasn't there a princess from  UAE  or Qatar who competes in Judo? 

[Trier1]

I've read somewhere on FB tha Nathalie will not compete because her horse is not stable enough for a 3 day competition

[pixiecat]

I've read somewhere on FB tha Nathalie will not compete because her horse is not stable enough for a 3 day competition

I wonder if this is the same horse she's ridden in the previous Olympics.     Hope this horse is okay.

[Visenya]

Joachim & Marie will also be attending the Games.

[Trier1]

I've read somewhere on FB tha Nathalie will not compete because her horse is not stable enough for a 3 day competition

I wonder if this is the same horse she's ridden in the previous Olympics.     Hope this horse is okay.

IF IIRC, the horse is ok but she feels that a 3 day competition and the flight might be too much. Usually they only do the Grand PRix and then chose between Special or Freestyle but during the Olympics (and during Aachen and a few other events) they have to do all 3, which can be too much if the horse isn't used to it. I think she retired Digby, her London partner, and wanted to compete with the  14 year old Fabienne in Rio. So far, the Danish team hasn't been nominated yet, they use Aachen (this weekend and next week) for the final selection but Nathalie isn't on the entry list, so I guess we can be sure that she isn't going to Rio. TBH, I can understand riders/owners who don't want to take their best horses to Rio, it is still not 100% sure if the horses are safe (water, food etc), it is a lot of stress, costs a lot and the money you can get is not much compared to the bigger "normal" events.

[Countess of Cows]

it is still not 100% sure if the horses are safe (water, food etc

I have serious doubts people are safe either    JMO you couldn't pay me to go to Rio

I just read an article about how this could be the last Olympics, it's gotten out of hand, countries without the means are bankrupting themselves while their people suffer.  The doping, the corruption, the over the top budgets, it's obscene. 

http://townhall.com/tipsh...to-be-a-disaster-n2186511

"the publication?s online team was able to gain access inside and wander about the Olympic village for hours without being stopped or asked for identification by security forces, despite heightened threats due to ISIS. They reported that they weren?t even asked to produce their press credentials and their bags were never searched.    

500,000 people expected to visit for the Games should be worried about how easily they could wander into dangerous areas: There?s a dearth of signs and tourist information on the streets and on public transportation. A native Brazilian, I spent half an hour at the central train station just trying to figure out where to catch a bus to the Olympic Park ? and I?d looked it up beforehand. The information booth inside the station was empty. Outside, few of the bus stops displayed information about which lines went where. I resorted to asking popcorn vendors and passers-by for directions. I?m glad I speak Portuguese

state started delaying civil servants? salaries and pension checks. The state already owes $21 billion to Brazil?s federal government and $10 billion to public banks and international lenders. A budget shortfall of $5.5 billion is projected for this year. An $860 million loan has already been granted to help cover the cost of security at the Games.

The fiscal disaster could be attributed to many factors, including a national economic crisis ? but the huge expansion of the government payroll and reckless spending for the Olympics are likely causes.

one of her criticism is that the ordinary people weren?t involved in the decision making process regarding the games, and that only the rich and connected will profit when the Olympics are over. Nevertheless, that may seem like an issue on the periphery considered that D-Day is approaching for Rio, which hasn?t completed its game sites, has body parts washing ashore, deplorable health conditions, and lackadaisical security"
 

[Visenya]

Princess Anne will attend. Princess Charlene will not due to Zika virus fears, Albert will go, but he will cut short the visit.

[pixiecat]

Princess Anne will attend. Princess Charlene will not due to Zika virus fears, Albert will go, but he will cut short the visit.

I wonder if this means she's trying to get pregnant again, or is possibly pregnant.  If they want more children, then I sincerely hope they are able to have them. 

[vivee]

Princess Anne will attend. Princess Charlene will not due to Zika virus fears, Albert will go, but he will cut short the visit.

I wonder if this means she's trying to get pregnant again, or is possibly pregnant.  If they want more children, then I sincerely hope they are able to have them.  

I think that if Albert is going it means the opposite... Men have to wait longer than women after visiting countries with Zika before trying to conceive since the virus lasts longer in semen than in blood.

(This is assuming they are trying to conceive naturally of course)

[PeDe]

I know it's honour and pride, and whatnot, but this shit needs to be shut down, and should have been postponed long time ago:

Welcome to Rio, don't mind the dead bodies: Bloated CORPSE floats in bay where Olympic swimmers and sailors will compete - as athletes are warned to 'keep their mouths closed' because water is full of 'human crap'
ompetitors taking part in some of the aquatic events at the Rio Olympics next month have been advised to 'keep their mouths shut' such is the level of pollution in the waters they will be competing in. Health experts have warned Olympic marathon swimmers, sailors and windsurfers competing in Rio's Guanabara Bay that the waters there are much more contaminated than was previously thought.